The Wonderful Life Of Milt Schmidt

Legendary Boston Bruins centreman Milt Schmidt was a Hockey Hall of Famer that spent a lifetime in the game until his passing at 98 years old.

One of the most famous lines in hockey history is the Boston Bruins storied ‘Kraut Line’ of the 1930s and 1940s. Bobby Bauer, Woody Dumart, and Milt Schmidt were all young boys with German ethnicity that hailed from the Kitchener area.

They played hockey together growing up and eventually were signed as a trio by the Boston Bruins where they spent their whole NHL careers. The Kraut Line was so good that they went 1-2-3 in the NHL scoring race one year, and won two Stanley Cups in their time together.

Milt was born on March 5, 1918, in Kitchener. To say that it was an honour talking to a man of his stature before he passed would be an understatement. Milt was one of the greatest to lace up a pair of skates. And it’s truly amazing that a young writer such as myself got the chance to interview someone that played in the National Hockey League from as far back as the 1930s.

Here’s to Milt Schmidt and the rest of the famous Kraut Line. May their legacy live on in hockey history forever.

Hockey Hall of Fame referee Red Storey might have said it best when he said, “You give me five guys named Milt Schmidt, I’ll put my grandmother in the net and we’ll beat all of them. That’s how good he was.” That’s not an exaggeration of any means from Red. He really was that good.